Sitting Bull was the last Sioux chief to surrender.  He was an inspirational leader whose faith gave him prophetic insight and lent special powers to his prayers.  While known as a fearless warrior, he was also a loving father, gifted singer and storyteller, a friendly and easy going man.

This carved emu egg features Sitting Bull, a Hunkpapa Lakota (Sioux) chief and holy man.  He was born in 1831 in present day South Dakota and given the name "Slow" by his father, who at that time saw nothing special about him.  This was to change.  At age 14 he joined his first war party and instead of waiting for the enemy to approach them, charged.  This surprising turn so startled the enemy that they ran and the Sioux were victorious.  At this time his father gave him the name Tatanka-Iyotanka, (a buffalo bull sitting on it's haunches), which has been translated to mean Sitting Bull.  The buffalo were known to be headstrong, stubborn, and unafraid with great endurance, courage and strength all qualities seen in Sitting Bull.  Sitting Bull lived up to his name, becoming chief of the Strong Hearts warrior society in 1856.  Later he joined the Silent Eaters, a society concerned with tribal welfare.  He was known to take care of his people, providing food to those that needed it and even giving away his ponies.  He became head chief of the Lakota nation in 1868 and negotiated a the Fort Laramie Treaty which assured tribal lands would not be encroached upon and provided other concessions for peace.  This treaty was broken when General Armstrong Custer confirmed that gold had been found on tribal land.  When the government was unable to convince the tribe to sell the land, an ultimation was given stating that any Lakota  not resettled on the reservation by 1876 would be considered hostile.  Sitting Bull and his followers refused to cooperate.  In March 1876 he called the Lakota, Cheyenne and Arapaho to his camp in Montana.  There he performed the Sun Dance, slashing his arms in sacrifice 100 times and praying to  Wakan Tanka, the Great Spirit.  During the ritual, he saw a vision of soldiers falling out of the sky into their camp.  This vision inspired Chief Crazy Horse (Oglala Lakota War Chief) and he took some 500 warriors into battle against army troops at the Battle of the Rosebud, forcing them to retreat.  To celebrate, the Lakota moved their camp to the Little Bighorn valley where over 3,000 other Indians met them.  When Custer and the 7th Calvary attacked them on June 25, they were wiped out.  The various tribes broke up after this in order to hunt and provide food for thier people.  Tribe after tribe was hunted down and the chief made to surrender.  Sitting Bull moved his people into Canada and tried to convince the Canadian government that his people were as much Canadian Indians as American Indians, but was unsuccessful.  The other tribes already living in Canada saw the Lakota as competition for the few buffalo left and resented their presence.  Finally, unable to feed his people, Sitting Bull returned to the U. S. and surrendered.  As had happened many times in the past, what he was promised and what he got was not the same.  He was held in confinement at Fort Randall from 1881 to 1883.  In 1883 he was allowed to rejoin his people at  the Standing Rock.  James, McLaughlin, the Indian agent in charge of the reservation, knowing Sitting Bull's reputation tried to undermine his authority and popularity with the Lakota by denying him any special privileges. His efforts were to no avail, Sitting Bull was still Chief and knew his own authority.  When a delegation of U.S. Senators came to discuss opening part of the reservation to white settlers, he spoke (unsuccessfully) against their plan.  In 1885 he spent a few months with Buffalo Bill Cody's Wild West Show, but hated it and returned to the reservation.  Shortly after his return he had another vision.  In this vision, a meadowlark told him that his own people would kill him.  This proved true a few years later.  Sitting Bull continued to fight the proposed breakup of the Great Sioux Reservation.  In 1890 a Miniconjou Lakota named Kicking Bear visited Sitting Bull and told him about the Ghost Dance.  The Ghost Dance was a ceremony promised to rid the land of white people and restore the Indians' way of life.  Already popular on other reservations, it was causing some concern among Indian agents and troops were being called in to prevent an uprising.  Some time after that Sitting Bull had a vision of an Indian messiah clad in white buffalo robes coming to help the Indians.  The Indian Agent at Standing Rock feared that Sitting Bull would join the Ghost Dancers as well.  Forty-three Lakota policemen were sent to bring him in. Before dawn on December 15, 1890, the police broke into the cabin.  Sitting Bull's son, Crowfoot, went for help.  As Sitting Bull was dragged outside a gunfight ensued and one of the Lakota policemen put a bullet through Sitting Bull's head.  

The Battle of Wounded Knee took place 2 weeks later.

The Sitting Bull Carved Emu Egg comes with a hand turned hardwood egg stand and can be inscribed on the back to make it a more personalized gift.

Because of the variations of color and texture inherent in the emu egg itself, each carved egg will be unique and make a distinctive addition to any decor (especially southwestern) or collection.  If you are looking for a "different" housewarming gift, birthday present or other special occasion gift for a Native American history buff this Carved Emu Egg  would be ideal.